Uber to trial driverless car

Uber is one of the latest companies to jump on the driverless car bandwagon.

The ride sharing company recently announced that it will commence a driverless car trial in the US city of Pittsburgh.

The test car - a hybrid Ford Fusion - will be used to collect mapping data and test its self-driving capabilities.

The test car will utilise a variety of radars, laser scanners and high-res cameras.

Uber, which has gained approval from the city of Pittsburgh to undertake the trial, has stated that its real world testing is critical to develop its self-driving technology, and that a trained driver will be in the driver's seat when the car is in autonomous mode.

The company went on to state that it believes driverless technology will save lives and reduce congestion.

Uber is trailing other tech companies such as Google and Apple, and conventional car companies such as Mercedes-Benz, in the race to master driverless cars.

Google recently joined forces with Fiat Chrysler to build a fleet of driverless cars.

This showed an escalation in the tech company's mission to build an autonomous vehicle, as it is the first time it has worked directly with a car maker to integrate its sensors and software.

Uber is commencing a driverless car trial in the US.

"The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive," said John Krafcik, CEO of Google's Self-Driving Car Project.

Mercedes-Benz claims to have launched the most-advanced functional driverless car technology in it new E-Class. The new E-Class builds on existing tech by adding the ability to steer itself around hazardous obstacles, as well as easily driving itself within its lane in many conditions ranging from stop-start traffic to high-speed motorway journeys.

The Tesla Model S in Australia already has the ability to change lanes through its Autopilot feature.

However, Australia is a long way away from allowing driverless cars on the road, with national government transport body - National Transport Commission - claiming that there are many barriers and legislative hurdles to clear before they could function locally.